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Fresno State held a ribbon cutting connected Oct. 8 for the authoritative motorboat of the wellness-to-go vending machine located connected the archetypal level of the Resnick Student Union.
The vending machine is the archetypal of its benignant serving a pupil colonisation in Fresno County. Enrolled Fresno State students tin entree respective over-the-counter medications, hygiene supplies similar menstrual kits, chapstick, deodorant, at-home Covid tests, and harm-reduction products including Narcan and fentanyl trial strips, for escaped oregon astatine a debased cost. While astir products are escaped of charge, immoderate items are disposable for acquisition astatine a nominal cost.
“Since the brushed motorboat connected Sept. 16, the vending instrumentality has recorded implicit 800 transactions, of which 333 [around 40%] were accessed erstwhile our pharmacy is closed during either the luncheon hr oregon aft 5 p.m. Monday done Friday,” said Alicia Nelson, manager of wellness services astatine the Student Health and Counseling Center astatine Fresno State. “The precocious usage demonstrates the machine’s contiguous interaction successful providing indispensable wellness and wellness supplies to the field community.”
Anthem Blue Cross funded the vending machine done the Central Valley Opioid Safety Coalition, successful concern with the Fresno Madera Medical Society. Associated Students, Inc. and the Student Health and Counseling Center besides provided backing for the escaped harm-reduction and hygiene products.
The inclusion of harm-reduction products similar Narcan and fentanyl trial strips aims to beforehand information and trim the risks associated with opioid use. There are nary play limits connected these captious items, underscoring Fresno State’s committedness to pupil wellness and safety.
“From Oct. 1, 2023, to Oct. 1, 2024, we person had a full of 4,004 prescriptions filled, and 8,887 over-the-counter items purchased astatine our pharmacy,” said Robert Mitchell, manager of aesculapian services astatine the Student Health and Counseling Center. “This annex of our pharmacy with the wellness-to-go vending instrumentality emphasizes the value of further entree to resources beyond the hours they tin get them successful the pharmacy of the Student Health and Counseling Center.”
(Written by Alexis Ford-Duncil, Health Communications and Promotion Specialist, Student Health and Counseling Center)
